Australia New South Wales Floods Road Closures, Isolate Residents

Sydney (ANTARA/Xinhua-OANA) - Heavy rain and localized flooding have forced the closure of the Pacific Highway at the town of Grafton in northern New South Wales (NSW) of Australia, authorities said on Monday. The NSW Department of Transport said they were unsure when the road would reopen but that diversions were in place. More heavy rain is expected on Monday, increasing the likelihood of minor flooding in Nambucca and Murrumbidgee valleys, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. About 2000 residents in Macleay, Bellinger, Brunswick, Tweed and areas along the Clarence River on the north coast of NSW are already isolated by floodwaters, the NSW State Emergency Service ( SES) said. Residents in some northern communities have been told to prepare for further flooding, as water rushes downstream from Queensland over the next two weeks. A major flood warning has been issued for residents around the Paroo River, in northwest NSW, after heavy rain fell in the Upper Paroo River valley.(*)